German city of Dresden on high alert for flooding

The eastern German city of Dresden is bracing for potential floods on Wednesday, after days of heavy rains caused severe inundations across Central Europe.

The Elbe river which flows through the city has now reached the 6-metre mark, leading authorities to declare the second-highest alert level.

This means built-up areas, major roads and railway lines are all at risk of flooding. The usual height of the Elbe in Dresden is 1.42 metres.

At the Schöna gauging station near the border to the Czech Republic, the Elbe reached 6.56 metres early on Wednesday.

The water level is expected to continue to rise during the day before dropping overnight.

However, authorities do not believe the Elbe will reach the 7-metre mark, which would trigger the highest alert level in the region.

Germany has largely been spared the worst effects of the historic downpours and flooding that have hit Central and Eastern Europe in recent days, with at least 20 people confirmed dead across Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania.

However, the massive volume of water could still cause damage as it makes its way across the border into Germany.

Further east, in the state of Brandenburg, crisis teams are on standby on the Oder river, which forms the border between Poland and Germany.

The highest alert level is expected to be reached on Monday in the small town of Ratzdorf, the state environmental office said, with residents protecting their homes against potential floods.

In contrast, the situation in the southern state of Bavaria has improved considerably, with authorities saying the risk of flooding has subsided.